Air-moistening apparatus.



N9. 782,073. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. H. M. SMITH. AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS.

APPLEOATION FILED PEB.11, 1903.

m W 7777 m Wing: was 1 UNITED STATES Patented F uary HENRY MITCHELL SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AIR-MOISTENING APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,073, dated February 7, 1905. Application filed February 11, 1903. Serial No. 142,843.

To all whmn it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY MITCHELL SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Moistening A'pparatus, of which the followingisa specification.

The general purpose of this invention is to provide an air-moistening apparatus that can be readily and easily attached to a radiator of any suitable heating systemsuch, for instance, as steam or hot-waterand yet be controlled independently of the radiator.

By experiment it has been demonstrated that the moisture in rooms heated by radiators employing either the steam or hot-water system is far below the recognized normalstandard, which condition is productive of much discomfort and is also detrimental to health. When the proper amount of moisture is supplied to a room heated by radiators, a much lower temperature can be maintained without discomfort to the occupants.

The object of this invention in point of construction is to provide an air-moistening apparatus consisting of a water-receptacle that is preferably placed under a radiator or similar heating means and partially filled with water that is heated by havinga pipe projecting from the main sup ply-pipe through the water-recentacle and provided with a valve that can be controlled independently of the radiator-controlling valve. It matters not what condition of temperature the radiator may be required to maintain as regards the heat of the water in the tank. The radiator and the water can be heated either simultaneously or separately, just as the operator may incline or as the temperature of the room may require.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, 1 will first describe thesame with reference to the drawings and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of aradiator, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line It a, Fig. 1; and

tion of my invention any form or style of radiator can be used and any desired heating system employed, here shown in Fig. 1 as a single-pipe steam-heating system. The radiatoris made up of any numberof radiatingcoils 1, that are secured together in any suitable manner-such, for instance, as tie-bolts or the like. The main steam-supply pipe 2 is connected with the coils l forming the radiator in the usual manner, the supply of steam thereto being controlled by the valve 3 in'the main supply-pipe located at a convenient point for operation.

Located under the radiator between the supporting-legs 1 is a water receptacle or tank 6, that is approximately of the same length and width as the radiator and preferably covered with some heat-insulating material 7 such, for instance, as asbestos, clay, or the like. The object of this insulation is to repel the heat of the radiator and confine within the tank the heated condition acquired by its separate heating means. The tank is partially filled with water, as shown in Fig. 1, and has extendinglongitudinally thereth rough a heating-pipe 10, that is coupled to the main supply-pipe 2. Between the tank and the supply-pipe in the heating-pipe is a valve 12, by means of which the heating of the water in the tank can be controlled independently of the radiator-valve. The heating-pipe 10 passes through the tank at an angle to provide for the backward flow of the water of condensation when the singlepipe steamheating system is employed; but, if desired, the pipe 10 can be placed in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig 3, and provided with a valved pipe 15, as shown in Fig. 1 and to he hereinafter described, and the water of condensation used to keep the tank filled to the desired level. The tank has an opening 8 in the side thereof to permit the vapor to escape into the room. The object of having the tank open on the side instead of at the top is to prevent moistcning the walls and also to conserve the moisture and allow of its better distribution through the room. The air into which the moisture is discharged will he more quickly effected than would be the case if the vapor were passed directly up through the radiator into the column of hot dry air above.

At the end of the tank opposite the main supply-pipe and attached to the heating-pipe is an escape-pipe 15, that projects above the Water-level, but has its open end 16 below the water-level. Placed in the pipe is a valve 17, that can be opened if the pressure in the main supply-pipe is too greatt-o allow of the free backward flow of the water of condensation, which would in a short time check the circulation through the pipe 10 and cause vaporization to ceasepbut by allowing the valve 17 to remain slightly open circulation is-assured and sufiicient Water from condensatiop will leak into the tank to replace the water evaporated. In order to prevent the pipe 15' from siphoning the water from the tank by conditions arising in the main' supply-pipe, acheck-valve 20 is placed just below the controlling-valve 17 in the pipe 15.

The tank is preferably constructed of thin sheet metal and is supported on brackets or legs 6'. In one end of the tank is a cock 22 for drawing OK the water in the tank whenever it may be desired or required.

In Fig. 3 a modified form is shown Wherein the means for supplying heat may be that of a system wherein a separate return-pipe is employed. In these systems the same rela tion of the radiator and the main supply-pipe is retained. as is also the independent control of the heating-pipe 10 by means of the valve 12. The pipe 10, in this instance whether steam OIllOt-Wfillfli is employed, passes through the tank, preferably on a horizontal plane, and is coupled to the return-pipe 23, here shown as passing under the tank and joining the mainreturn-pipe close to the supply-pipe. This modified form also discloses the fact that the tank can be so constructed that it wili form a base for the radiator proper when it the independent connection of the heatingpipe with the main supply-pipe.

Of course it is obvious that certain'details Iaving thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a radiator, an airmoistening device adjacent to the bottom of the radiator but independent in operation of said radiator, means for supplying heat to the radiator independently of the air-moistening device, and means for supplying heat to the air-rhoisteni'ng device independently of the radiator, the air -moistening device being closed to prevent air circulation between it and the radiator but open to emit moisture therefrom, for the purpose explained.

2. In combination with a radiator,an insulated air-moistening device adjacent to the radiator but independent thereof, and means independently controllable for supplying heat to the radiator and the air-moistening device, the air-moistening device being closed to prevent air circulation between it and the radiator but open to emit moisture therefrom, for the purpose explained.

3. In combination with a radiator, an insulated air-moistening device adjacent to the bottom of the radiator but independent thereof and closed to prevent air circulation between it and. the radiator but open to emit ently controlling the admission of heat into the pipe 10', and an overflow-pipe 15 secured to the pipe 10 and provided With a checkvalve 20, for the .purpose explained.

HENRY MITCHELL SMITH. Witnesses:

J. GREEN, I HARRY E. Kmenir. 

